What is Climate Equity?

Climate equity ensures the just distribution of the benefits of climate protection efforts and alleviates unequal burdens created by climate change.

The goal of mitigating GHG emissions requires structural changes in our local, State, and national economies. These changes will affect the conditions under which our neighbors succeed or fail to escape poverty. If poorly implemented, emissions-reduction policies can increase burden or costs particularly for those most vulnerable within our communities. These same policies, however, can be designed to protect, or even benefit, our under-resourced neighbors. Equitable implementation of climate actions can improve the resilience of those most vulnerable amongst us —for instance, by using fiscal resources from financial accountability mechanisms to improve social protection.

Because the impacts of climate change disproportionately burden low-income communities of color, it is important to incorporate an equity lens when planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Why Should I Care?

Inequity is not only bad for those at the bottom of the income spectrum, it also places everyone’s economic future at risk, and slows or damages overall economic growth. In essence, we reducing the quality of life for us all and are “leaving money on the table” by operating in an economic environment that leaves so many people out.

What Can We Do About It?

Climate action offers massive opportunities to reduce social inequalities, but they remain largely untapped. By viewing our climate actions through the lens of equity before and while we implement them, we can make significant gains on creating a more equitable community. Analyzing climate strategies and corresponding suite of actions can help us refine their implementation.

• What are the potential positive and negative impacts or opportunities created by this action?

• Who will benefit or be harmed?

• How might this action be adjusted to help advance equity and improve outcomes?

• How might participation in this action create a foundation for trust and relationships between the City and the community?

Climate Equity Toolkit

Each climate action plan can benefit from the creation of a community-specific Implementation Equity Toolkit. The tool cannot solve all problems related to inequities in climate planning and sustainability. However, by creating a tool tailored to the community’s goals, equity considerations, and resources, an Equity Toolkit can guide stakeholders through the process of recognizing inequities, the conditions which increase inequities, and the possible steps or implementation considerations that would mitigate negative effects and enhance positive results for advancing equity. Below are two examples of community specific equity toolkits:

City of Cleveland Equity Toolkit

City of Edina Values Viewfinder Tool

City of Dubuque Racial Equity Tool

Does your community have an Equity Toolkit? Share it with us and we’ll add it to the resources!